Silky skills, crushing power and a ding-dong on the scoreboard lapped up by a sold-out Saturday-night crowd: this was a vintage instalment of a classic fixture that went right down to the wire.

The scrum-half Antoine Dupont may have looked a little rusty on his second outing for France since his sevens sojourn at the Paris Olympics but Thomas Ramos, who kicked 15 points, was as dependable as ever. Ardie Savea was a monumental presence with his punishing carries for New Zealand but the pace of Louis Bielle-Biarrey proved more potent in the final reckoning.

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